During the cold, dark days of winter, garden motivation is in short supply for many of us. It’s tempting to curl up with a good book and a cup of hot tea until spring, but challenging yourself in winter can make the season easier to tolerate and will get us charged up and ready to get into the garden as soon as possible.
Looking for a few winter gardening challenges? Read on for fun ideas on gardening in winter.
Growing Challenge in Winter: Leafy Greens
You can’t grow a full garden indoors, but you can raise a hearty crop of nutritious, tasty, leafy greens. These fast-growing plants are a cinch, and all you need to get started are seeds, potting soil for seed starting, a small watering can, and a seedling tray (you can also use an old bread pan, the bottom of a plastic milk jug, or something similar).
Harvest the leafy greens every day and use them in sandwiches, soups, or stir-fries. The long list of suitable plants includes:
Winter Garden Motivation: Colorful, Eye-Catching Houseplants
When winter days are dark and dreary, treat yourself to a snazzy new houseplant with striking or colorful foliage. Just to name a few:
- Zebra plant
- Coleus
- Polka dot plant
- Croton
- Purple velvet plant
- Rex begonia
- Kalanchoe
- African violets
- Calathea
- Aluminum plant
Winter Gardening Challenge: Spring is Around the Corner
When the winter holidays are over and the new year has begun, it’s time to pull out the seed catalogs and prepare for spring.
Start peas and potatoes between early February and mid-March. Depending on your climate, late winter and early spring may be the time for transplants like kale, collards, broccoli, and onions.
Veggie seeds like parsnips, carrots, radish, turnips, spinach, and mustard can usually be planted between mid-February and April. In March, you can start peppers, eggplants, and tomatoes by seed indoors, so they’ll be ready to move outdoors in spring.